
06/18/2025
MY DAD LEFT ME WHEN I WAS 13 — TEN YEARS LATER, I SAW HIM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HITCHHIKING WITH A LITTLE GIRL.
When I was 13, my dad left without a word. My mom and I struggled for years, hoping he’d return, but he never did. I moved on and built a life without him.
Ten years later, while driving home, I saw a man and a little girl hitchhiking. I slowed down, but my heart raced. It was my dad. He looked older and rougher, but it was him. The little girl, around 10, smiled up at him like he was her hero.
Shocked, I pulled over. "Need a ride?" I asked, barely holding it together.
"Ellie?" he recognized me immediately.
We drove in tense silence until I finally asked, "Is she my sister?"
He sighed. "Her ⬇️